Fixed my hamstrings!

[Garthwh]

I got from trying to touch my toes and only getting a bit past my knees to being able to go past my toes. In only a week! How I did this you ask? Did I have to spend hours stretching?

I was thinking about the advice to stop sitting so much, but I've tried that before and I run into problems with standing desks and all that. So I realized that what mattered was not that I was sitting, but that my hamstrings were short for extended periods of time.

With this in mind, I started sitting on the ground with my legs straightened. As this was a bit uncomfortable, so I only did it for ~45 minutes a day as I watched videos on the internet.

And now my lower body is rather flexible. My dead lifts are better than ever before, and the flexibility makes everything easier!

[Niflheim]

Bump, just found this. Will try it myself and report back!

[GaWd]

I might have to try this for a while as well.

[ZiR RED]

Good idea (putting my feet up now), but what about the hip flexors being shortened when sitting? Tight HF can cause lower cross body syndrome and tight hamstrings.

Perhaps a HF stretch every 20-30 min of sitting?

Br

[Kimbo]

Good idea (putting my feet up now), but what about the hip flexors being shortened when sitting? Tight HF can cause lower cross body syndrome and tight hamstrings.

Perhaps a HF stretch every 20-30 min of sitting?

Br

Yeah, I think putting the feet up only addresses part of the issue.

I was able to fix my HF problems (for a while) by doing loaded Bulgarian split squat stretches. These feel awful, but fix the problem quickly.

[eclypz]

Good idea (putting my feet up now), but what about the hip flexors being shortened when sitting? Tight HF can cause lower cross body syndrome and tight hamstrings.

Perhaps a HF stretch every 20-30 min of sitting?

Br

this is my problem. My hamstrings are decently flexible. It's my hip flexors, psoas etc. that are just plain wound up and dysfunctional. Stretching them seems to only piss them off more.

[Kimbo]

this is my problem. My hamstrings are decently flexible. It's my hip flexors, psoas etc. that are just plain wound up and dysfunctional. Stretching them seems to only piss them off more.

Being more aggressive about it might do the trick. The more you sit during the day, the more you have to do it (unfortunately I sit all day long).

[Garthwh]

I luckily have loose HF,but that sounds like a good idea.

[methodice]

I luckily have loose HF,but that sounds like a good idea.

How do you know this?

[shanrocks1985]

Did you see a doctor when you did it?

Injuries that have not healed in a month or two of initial injury should be fully reviewed, given that this has been a few years you need to seek medical advice, tell the doctor what happened and how its still causing your problems with pain and stiffness. He/she they may order some test, X-rays etc.

[GaWd]

I fix the HFs for a while when I concentrate on them, but after a while, I lose my ability to care about one set of muscles so much. So then my hip starts to bug me again, and we start all over. lol

The split-squat maneuver is great for stretching quads with your foot on the bench behind you, and great for your HFs with your knee up. Also, mountain climbers are another most awesome move when needing to stretch the whole hip girdle.

[ZiR RED]

A good massage therapist who can dig in to actively release the psoas is a painful, yet rewarding experience.

[D-termine]

Does anyone find running in Vibrams helps relieve tight hip flexors, specifically the Piriformis? When sitting for long periods of time my right Piriformis locks up, which in turn causes tight ITBs, and knee pain. The best thing I have found to cure this is running in my Vibrams. Just a mile or two run in them does wonders and fixes me up for days.

The second best thing to address leg tightness due to extended periods of sitting is to train the lower body through compound movement that require hip flexion such as Squats and Deadlifts. YMMV, however it does the trick for me. I should mention I perform all lifts in Vibrams which I feel adds to the cumulative healing effects.

Don't forget to hit the seated abduction/adduction machine as well. When my right leg and Gracilis/Adductors/Piriformis tighten up from too much sitting those movements do the trick.

Stretching or SMR on a roller is a nice addition to the above exercises, but honestly I almost never hit my roller anymore now that I am more consistent with running in my Vibrams.

Hopefully this helps a few people out, I've spent the last three years battling a bum right leg, so I've picked up more than a few tricks along the way.